


Mirror, Mirror [Hiatus]

by blue_deer (Killerguppy)



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Bodyswap, Comedy, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-08 00:36:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21467155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killerguppy/pseuds/blue_deer
Summary: It took approximately one hour for Mingyu to come to terms with the fact that he somehow had gotten stuck in the body of the most notorious student in his university and that he had absolutely no clue how to reverse this situation.
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu
Comments: 18
Kudos: 84





	1. Mingyu: First Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Genre: Fantasy/supernatural, romance, fluff, some comedy, some angst
> 
> Pairing: Meanie (Mingyu x Wonwoo)
> 
> Warnings: Swearing, homophobic slurs

Kim Mingyu didn't wake up to the usual alarm today. Instead of the soft ringing of his roommate's phone, the loud, unexpected sound of a doorbell ripped him out of his slumber.

He flailed, scared out of his wits, and tried to get up as quickly as possible - but for some reason, his bed had gotten much narrower and the hand that was supposed to support his body on the mattress only met air. With a yelp, Mingyu flailed even more before he landed on the floor in a heap, all air driven out of his lungs. Fortunately, a soft carpet had cushioned his fall.

Wait, what?

He was 100% certain that his dorm only had worn wooden flooring without even a hint of carpet.

Mingyu blinked. Then he squinted. Then he blinked some more. Although his vision was still a little blurry, the room he was in didn't change. And it certainly wasn't the old dorm room he had been sharing for almost two months.

Everything was held in shades of white and grey, and looked sleek and modern - but despite the expensive furniture, the room itself was completely devoid of any personal items.

No pictures. No plants. Not even a single book in sight.

One of his legs was still resting on the cushions of the white leather sofa he had been sleeping on while the rest of his body was sprawled on a light grey carpet, next to a coffee table made of glass and steel.

After he had stared for a moment, Mingyu sat up and gingerly rubbed his sore shoulder. Even the clothes he was wearing, blue sweatpants and a tight, black tank top, definitely didn't belong to him. Formfitting clothes were not something he owned.

His confusion slowly but surely turned into something akin to fear as he struggled to figure out what was going on.

He remembered going to bed, just like always, after working some more on his project. He also remembered that Vernon had asked him if he wanted to watch a movie together on his laptop and that he had hastily declined; never, not in a thousand years, would he ever agree to an offer as dangerous as that. Furthermore, they weren't even that close and his project was due in a few days anyway.

But how had he ended up in this unfamiliar flat, dressed in unfamiliar clothes? Had he gotten drunk? Drugged? Kidnapped?

And where was Vernon?

His musings got cut short by the sound of keys somewhere outside the room and he hastily scrambled to get up, eyes fixed on the door next to the large TV. Anxiety made him clench his fists.

Maybe his roommate had returned and could shed some light on what was going on? Maybe all of this was some sort of elaborate prank?

"Vernon?" he called out tentatively but he immediately froze at the sound of his voice. Something was seriously wrong with his throat. His voice had sounded deeper than usual and oddly unfamiliar. A shiver ran down his spine.

Wide-eyed, he was holding onto his throat when the door to the living room finally opened and an elderly woman entered. Although wrinkles were carved deep into her skin and her hair had already turned silver-grey, her beady eyes were sparkling, her gaze clear when it landed on him. A red apron was wrapped around her waist, hiding her clothes.

She was a complete and utter stranger to Mingyu. His heart sank.

For a moment, they stared at each other until a polite smile stretched her thin lips and she bowed, her hands daintily crossed in front of her belly. A wispy voice reached him: "Apologies for the sudden intrusion, young master; I wasn't aware that you were still here. Please don't mind my presence; I will prepare lunch now."

With those words, she turned and closed the door behind herself while Mingyu remained rooted to the spot in baffled silence.

Say what? Young master?

And despite her initial surprise, how come she hadn't seemed even the least bit worried about the random stranger in her flat? Wasn't that a little too careless? He could have been a burglar for all she knew!

He quizzically stared after her before he sighed and shook his head. Weird.

Looking around once more, his sight still more fuzzy than he was used to, his eyes fell on the glass door of the balcony. Or, to be more precise, on his reflection in the glass door of the balcony.

Even with his currently less than stellar eyesight, it was clear that something wasn't right. His hands flew to his face, feeling around.

Had his nose always been that pointy? Why was his hair so fluffy? And now that he thought about it - why wasn't it poking his eyes, the way it usually did?

The ominous feeling that had accompanied him since he had woken up intensified all of a sudden.

It took him four large strides to round the coffee table and reach the door. A hallway with four more doors greeted him, just as white, just as impersonal as the living room he had just left behind. Only a wardrobe and a tall mirror lined the otherwise empty walls - but that mirror was everything Mingyu needed right now.

He sprinted towards it, bumping into the corner of the doorframe and stumbling over his own legs in his haste - almost as if he wasn't fully used to them yet... he pushed that thought as far away as possible.

When Mingyu finally arrived in front of the mirror, his pained expression immediately morphed into a look of utter shock: instead of his own familiar face, he was greeted by the sight of slanted, monolidded eyes, high cheekbones, a straight nose and surprisingly plush lips. Everything was framed by a wavy mop of black hair and a strikingly sharp jawline.

Thunderstruck, he stared at his reflection, his cold, shaking hands rising to touch his cheeks, his nose, his chin...

Of course, he knew the person staring at him through the mirror. Everyone knew him.

Jeon Wonwoo - the mad dog of Goryeo University.

  
It took approximately one hour for Mingyu to come to terms with the fact that he had somehow gotten stuck in the body of the most notorious student in his university and that he had no idea how to reverse this situation.

It took another hour for him to calm down after having a nervous break down which had included wailing, shouting, pinching himself until he was bruised in futile attempts to wake up, and curling up in front of the mirror while praying for a miracle.

Afterwards, the old maid brought him tea and a mountain of snacks and forced him to reassure her several times that he was feeling better and would commit neither suicide nor mass murder.

And now he was finally alone again in what he could only assume was Jeon Wonwoo's bedroom. The thought alone was terrifying enough to make his skin crawl.

Compared to the rest of the flat, this room was the only one that looked like someone was actually living in it. Several books about architecture were neatly lined up on a shelf next to another massive wardrobe - Mingyu avoided looking at its mirror doors at all cost - and the desk in front of the window was filled with stacks of papers, a MacBook, a sketchbook, a tin with pencils and pens, as well as several small items, all lined up. Everything was extremely orderly, from the way the papers were neatly arranged to the pristine, grey blanket on the king-size bed that had not a single crease. The only splashes of colour were two pictures dotting the wall. One was of a weird, geometrical building Mingyu didn't recognize and the other was a picture of Dongdaemun Design Plaza at night.

Apparently, Jeon Wonwoo was interested in architecture - even though that didn't fit his image at all. But then again, neither did this overly tidy room.

Mingyu's brows furrowed in his attempt to recall which major the senior was in. If he remembered correctly, it was business management, not architecture. Not that he attended his classes often. Jeon Wonwoo was known to be elusive but despite his lacking attendance, his grades were good and he had never gotten into trouble with the profs thanks to the backing of his family - one of the many reasons why he was well known on campus.

Another, and probably the biggest reason was his temper. He was famous for his cold, aloof attitude even towards people older than him but there had been several incidents where his switch had gotten flipped - and, apparently, Wonwoo was absolutely terrifying when angered. He had only been in his second semester when the nickname "mad dog" had emerged - although nobody dared to call him that to his face. In any case, it had never ended well for the people who had managed to provoke him but thanks to the influence of the Jeon family, Wonwoo had stayed a student at Goryeo and there had never been a lawsuit or even a big fuss in the wake of his actions.

Mingyu suspected that quite a bit of money had changed hands thanks to the senior.

And those weren't even the worst stories about Wonwoo! As with every infamous person, the gossip had gotten more and more outrageous over time. Rumours about wild parties, drug-fuelled sexcapades, illegal gambling and even gang involvement were numerous when it came to him - Mingyu didn't believe half of them.

Yes, Wonwoo might be rich with a bad temper and yes, he often had at least one or two girls cling to his arm but he simply didn't seem like the type of person who could be bothered to be part of a gang or a drug cartel.

But just because Mingyu had chosen not to believe those particular stories, it didn't mean that he didn't fear the senior - because he most definitely did. Mingyu always tried to lay as low as possible and Wonwoo attracted attention where ever he went. Furthermore, Mingyu avoided conflict at all cost while the senior simply didn't seem to care. Therefore, he had always stayed as far away from him as possible whenever he had seen him on campus.

But now he was stuck in the body of this rumoured delinquent/playboy/troublemaker with absolutely no idea what to do.

He felt the sudden urge to bang his head against the wall – since, what did it matter? It wasn't his head after all.

With a low groan, he flopped onto the soft bed and stared at his- no, at Wonwoo's hands. They were adorned with long, slender fingers but the large palms made them look quite masculine. They looked nice, Mingyu had to admit that. His gaze wandered over arms that were a lot more toned than the arms of his original body and over his flat stomach, barely hidden beneath the tight tank top he was wearing. His brows furrowed once again. This body was better looking than his.

Reluctantly he got up and crept towards the wardrobe mirror.

Yep, it was still Wonwoo staring at him - although he had never seen such a disgruntled expression on his usually blank face. Mingyu leaned closer to the mirror and ran a hand through his- no, Wonwoo's soft locks. They felt quite nice. He narrowed his eyes and mirror-Wonwoo did the same. It made him look dangerous and cold - but in a really, really cool way. Full lips curved into a smirk at the thought and the sight made Mingyu's heart jump while red blossomed on Wonwoo's pale cheeks.

His forehead met the cold surface of the mirror with a quiet thud. "Why's that guy so freaking handsome?" he groaned, his breath fogging up the glass. No wonder all the girls were head-over-heels for him. Rich, good-looking and a bad boy; wasn't that a bit of an overkill? "Should be illegal."

He lifted his head and once again tousled his hair. But even with a bedhead, the person in the mirror looked oddly seductive - as if he had just spent the night doing this and that...

"Bastard," Mingyu growled at his own reflection, secretly delighted by the way Wonwoo's canines flashed through his parted lips.

If the real Wonwoo would look at him like that, he would probably pee his pants.

He thought back to his own, carefully created, mediocre appearance and compared it to Wonwoo's cold but charismatic face. "Well, it's better to be ordinary," he finally mumbled, brows furrowed, as his fingers ran over the surface of the mirror. "Too much attention isn't-"

Suddenly, a thought made him stop dead in his tracks: If he was here now, then what had happened to his own body?

Surely, it wasn't like in those web novels where someone died and then ended up in another person's body, right? He couldn't have died in his sleep last night, could he? He was only 22! And he had absolutely no desire to live as Jeon Wonwoo from now on!

Cold sweat had formed on his forehead. Without another glance at his dishevelled appearance, he dashed out of the bedroom and left the flat in a hurry after haphazardly pulling on some sneakers - only dressed in sweatpants and a tank top.

And with neither Wonwoo's keys nor his wallet.


	2. Wonwoo: First Morning

Quiet music reached his ears accompanied by a low, tired groan.

Jeon Wonwoo scrunched up his nose at the disturbance and turned around, face still buried in the pillow. It smelled nice, fruity and vaguely sweet. A slight ache had settled into his hip since the mattress he was currently lying on was rather hard and uncomfortable.

It took Wonwoo's hazy mind a moment to conclude that this was definitely not his bed. And that it wasn't his sofa either.

The pillow's smell had a feminine touch; some sort of perfume, maybe? Or shampoo? Had he ended up in a love hotel somehow?

The first thing Wonwoo saw when he opened his eyes was dark brown hair. He sat up, perplexed, but it kept hanging in front of his eyes and got caught in his lashes, obscuring his vision. For a moment, all he did was stare blankly - until a strand loosened and stabbed him in right in the eyeball. His hand flew to his face with a curse.

"Urgh. Morning classes are the worst," a male voice suddenly groaned to his right.

Wonwoo froze in the middle of rubbing his eye and his bewildered expression immediately hardened into his usual mask of aloofness while thoughts began whirring through his head.

Why was there a man in the room? He didn't recognize the voice. He couldn't pinpoint his surroundings either. What was going on?

After pushing his bothersome fringe out of the way, Wonwoo caught sight of a completely unfamiliar yet nonetheless strangely familiar room with twin beds, two desks and two wardrobes. The walls were covered with posters of bands and he could make out a wild mess of shoes in one corner as well as several small piles of clothes scattered throughout the small room.

In the bed opposite the one he was currently sitting in lay a young man whom he had never seen before. The stranger was around his age and sported blond hair and blue pyjamas. His pillow had left a red imprint on his cheek and based on the death grip he had on his red blanket, he seemed to contemplate whether to sleep a bit longer.

Wonwoo never minced his words: "Who the hell are you?"

The stranger's eyes flew open at the sound of his frigid voice, visibly startled. "Huh? Are you alright?" he asked, brows knitting in concern.

"Where am I?" Wonwoo returned his question with a question of his own.

The young man looked more and more confused with each passing second but he answered anyway when the silence between them kept stretching. "Uh... in our room? You know, the one we've been sharing for, like, two months?"

Wonwoo's brows furrowed. He was dead certain that he had _never_ shared a room with anyone before - how could he? He hated it when other people went near his stuff, much less touched it. Not even his maid was allowed to set foot into his bedroom. Furthermore, messiness was something he couldn't tolerate. At all.

His eyes once again flitted over the pile of shoes, the cluttered desks, discarded clothes and the crooked posters. This room alone was enough to make his body itch.

"Mingyu, are you okay?"

The stranger in the other bed had sat up as well by now; a look of genuine worry was painting his features.

Mingyu?

Wonwoo stared at him, pierced him with his glare, made him fidget uncomfortably, but instead of spilling the beans, the other male's eyes widened after a glance at his phone before he leapt to his feet. "Shit, I'm late! Just stay in bed until you're better, alright? I'll sign the attendance sheet for you!" And with those words, he grabbed some clothes from a pile at the foot of his bed and flew through a door that apparently led to a bathroom.

Wonwoo remained seated, trying to make sense of what was happening. After some careful deliberation, he came to the conclusion that he was dreaming.

Why else would he end up in an unfamiliar room and get mistaken for someone else?

This conclusion helped a little to soothe his high-strung nerves.

A look around told him that this was clearly one of the dormitories of his university - while he had never lived in the dorms himself, he had spent enough time in the female dormitory to recognize the general layout and the furnishing.

The mess in this room was on a whole different level, though.

His gaze focused on the desk at the foot of the other bed, littered with candy wrappers and small action figures. Rumpled clothes were piling high on the desk chair.

Wonwoo's eye twitched.

The only thing he could find comfort in was that his side of the room looked marginally better. Instead of candy wrappers, the desk was covered by several big folders as well as a whole mountain of papers - but at least the desk chair was useable.

Next to his bed, on a small side table, lay a pair of outdated, black-rimmed glasses. After a moment of hesitation, Wonwoo picked them up and weighed them in his hand.

This dream felt surprisingly realistic.

Before he had the chance to think any further, the bathroom door flew open with a _bang_ and the roommate rushed out, his hair a mess and traces of toothpaste still around his lips. He shot Wonwoo a bright grin, grabbed his bag and waltzed out of the front door with an ear-shattering "See ya!".

Wonwoo frowned for the second time that morning - a record, given his usually expressionless face. But this was a dream after all, so it didn't matter how he behaved.

He got up from the uncomfortable bed, noting that he was wearing a baggy white shirt and black sweatpants, and walked a circle in the small room. Even his bathroom was bigger than this. His eyes fell on the rubbish-strewn desk again, on a notebook that had doodles scribbled all over the cover which surrounded a name: **Vernon** it read in bold, messy letters.

Vernon and Mingyu. Two names he hadn't heard of before as far as he could remember. Why did they show up in his dream all of a sudden?

Deep in thought, he turned towards the other desk to take a closer look but his foot got caught in one of the many shirts hanging from the desk chair and with a loud curse he stumbled. Pain shot through his knees at their harsh contact with the floor and he barely prevented splitting open his forehead on the edge of the other desk.

Panting, he remained on his knees, his face contorted into an ugly grimace.

This dream felt a little too real.

"Fuck," he growled while he struggled back to his feet, one hand swiping his annoying fringe out of his eyes. His heart was still beating double-time and his knees were throbbing. He raised his leg.

With a deafening _crash_, the offending chair smashed into the wall, leaving behind several scratches in the white wallpaper while clothes rained onto the floor. Another kick sent it crashing into the other desk chair. His hands were twitching with the urge to throw some items from the desk as well but after taking a deep breath, Wonwoo managed to calm down.

Vernon seemed like a decent person, albeit an unbearably messy one; he wouldn't lay his hands on his stuff.

But he really needed to wake up now because this dream sucked and he could feel his temper rising steadily.

Pain didn't seem to help; maybe cold water would.

Wonwoo strode over to the door next to the exit and opened it to take a look. As expected, a tiny bathroom emerged from the dark once he flicked on the ceiling lights and his nose immediately wrinkled at the sight, the corners of his lips tugging downward.

Vernon's hasty morning routine had left puddles of water all over the floor and shelf of the sink; some droplets were even clinging to the mirror. A brush, two toothbrushes, two tubes of toothpaste and soap were piled up in the furthest corner – obviously a hasty attempt to protect them from getting soaked.

Sharing a bathroom with another person - this dream was getting more and more nightmarish.

Careful not to step into the water with his bare feet, Wonwoo moved forward, intent on washing his face, but he stopped once he noticed his reflection in the mirror.

A young, unfamiliar man was staring back at him, his eyes almost hidden behind long bangs.

No wonder Vernon had mistaken him for his roommate. He looked like a completely different person.

But this dream would end here.

Without further ado, Wonwoo turned on the water and stuck his head under the stream.

Coldness hit him like a jackhammer. It was cold enough to make his head ache but he endured it with clenched teeth.

As the water trailed down his cheeks in small rivulets and seeped into the collar of his shirt, freezing on his skin, he had to come to terms with the fact that all of this felt way too realistic to be a dream.

After about a minute of torture, he lifted his head and turned off the tap before he inspected the wet face in the mirror more closely. Almond-shaped eyes with double-eyelids peered at him over a refined nose and lips that were just the right amount of full.

It was an unusually handsome face but it was hidden almost entirely behind the long, wet bangs of a rather outdated bowl-cut. And the thick-rimmed glasses he had seen on the bedside table would probably make the gloomy impression worse.

Wonwoo had absolutely no idea who the stranger in the mirror was but his brows furrowed in thought while he stared at the unfamiliar reflection.

If this wasn't a dream, how had he ended up in a different body? Furthermore, what had happened to his own body?

...

Well, ultimately it didn't matter.

A light feeling suddenly suffused his chest, his furrowed brows relaxing until a small smile curved the mouth of the stranger in the mirror.

This wasn't too bad.

At least he wouldn't have to see his family again. He just needed some money to move out of this piss-poor place but that matter could easily be solved once he got his hands on his credit card - the one he had been hiding from his parents.

The smile widened.

After a moment of deliberation, he decided to pay his flat a visit.


	3. Mingyu: Sweat and Tears

Whispers followed Mingyu as soon as he arrived on campus. Sweat was dripping down his face even though it was a rather cool spring day, his thin clothes sticking to his skin. He was sure that his current body was quite a sight to behold right now - but he had had no choice:

After leaving Wonwoo's flat, it had taken him a moment to figure out where he was and where he needed to go but fortunately, the flat was only three subway stops away from the university. It would have taken him at most ten minutes to get there.

It would have - if he had brought Wonwoo's wallet with him. Which, of course, he hadn't.

Mingyu had stood in front of the closed gate to the subway lines, his face pale while he had frantically patted down his body in search for anything that could possibly help him.

But there had been nothing.

He was only dressed in Wonwoo's sleeping clothes and a pair of sneakers after all.

After finally accepting his fate, he had instead jogged along the busy main street, carefully evading pedestrians and other obstacles, until he had finally arrived at campus 35 minutes later.

Fortunately, Wonwoo was the sporty sort - unlike Mingyu, who preferred to read comics in bed. But even with an athletic body, he was sweating like a pig at the time of his arrival.

His face reddened even further when he noticed the startled - and slightly confused - glances of the other students. Jeon Wonwoo was always the center of attention, regardless of what he did, and Mingyu bit his lip at the thought of what the original Wonwoo would say if he saw his body walking around in this disheveled and everything but glamorous state. It probably wasn't anything nice.

Hastily he scurried towards the dormitories, ducking his head in an attempt to be as invisible as possible - which failed spectacularly. 

Being a celebrity was hard.

When he had finally arrived at his dorm room, he found himself faced with the next obstacle: the door.

It was an old building, therefore the wooden doors were sturdy and required a key to unlock.

Of course, he didn't have his key. It was probably still in the bag slung over the armrest of his desk chair.

There were two other keys but Vernon had classes and Mingyu had no clue in which of the seven buildings he currently was, and the master key was in the hands of the security guard - an exceedingly unfriendly man who was responsible for enforcing the curfew. Mingyu usually stayed as far away from him as possible.

It was more likely for him to kick down the door than to get the master key.

With a groan, he resigned himself to wait until lunch break and then search the two cafeterias for his roommate but to his surprise (and slight horror), the door clicked as soon as he leaned against it. He immediately turned and shook the handle and, really, it was unlocked.

Was Vernon skipping class? Or had something happened?

Carefully, Mingyu pulled open the door and peeked inside.

He wasn't quite sure what he was expecting to find. His own dead body maybe or at least his roommate huddled up under his blanket.

Certainly not an empty room.

Why had the door been left unlocked if no one was home?

"Hello?" he called out. "Vernon?"

Nothing changed. The door to the bathroom had been left ajar as well and nobody was hiding in there either.

Goosebumps rose on Mingyu's skin.

Where was his body?

Had he really died and his body had already been taken away? Or maybe he was currently in the hospital in a coma. But what had happened to Wonwoo then?

Mingyu rubbed his forehead with a groan, a slight headache spreading through his temples. The slick feeling of his skin caught him off-guard until he remembered that he was still drenched in sweat.

He hesitated for a moment. There was nothing he could so right now, was there? He'd have to wait for Vernon to find out what exactly had happened this morning and he had no clue when his roommate would return.

Well, it was Mingyu's dorm room, technically. Technically, it was also his stuff.

It was okay to take a shower here, wasn't it?

Wonwoo's face in the mirror held a mixed expression. A hint of excitement got overshadowed by a whole lot of bashfulness.

The longer Mingyu stared, the more nervous he became.

"This is my body now," he declared loudly to reassure himself but his shaking fingers were still clenching the black fabric of Wonwoo's tanktop without moving an inch. It didn't leave much up to imagination anyway, given how tight it was.

"Man up. It's no big deal," he mumbled while red blossomed on his cheeks.

The first sliver of pale skin flashed just above the waistband of his sweatpants when he finally dared to pull a little. Sculpted abs came into view before the tanktop hid them once again and Mingyu buried his burning face in his hands.

"Fuck. Why's that guy so ripped?!"

Was he some sort of sports fanatic?

It took him three minutes until he had calmed down enough to try again - this time with his back turned to the mirror.

He managed to take the top off without too much trouble since he already had mentally prepared himself and even the pants came off after some hemming and hawing but once he was faced with Wonwoo's underwear - a pair of brand-name, dark blue boxer briefs - he lost his (already rather flimsy) cool.

"Nooo! This is too much!"

He bounced on the spot, almost slipping on the wet tiles in his panic, his hands once again pressed against his burning face.

The other students would kill him once they found out that he had seen Jeon Wonwoo naked! Not that he would ever tell anyone.

He snuck a peek over his shoulder and the sight of Wonwoo's muscular back and thighs in the mirror was enough to startle him even more.

"Why couldn't I end up in a less attractive body?" he lamented, closing his eyes once again. "I don't want to suffer every time I undress."

But it was undeniable that sweat was currently drying on his skin and that he really needed to take a shower regardless of how embarrassed he felt otherwise Vernon would probably die once he entered the room and took a good whiff. Even popular people were only human.

The thought consoled Mingyu a little.

After taking a deep breath, he kept his eyes tightly shut and hooked his fingers into the waistband of his boxers, taking them off in one fell swoop. He inched towards the shower at the other end of the small bathroom, feeling his way along the wall, jumping in fright when the cold shower curtain touched him, until he managed to grasp the showerhead.

The moment of truth had arrived.

He would have to open his eyes in order to figure out which washcloth was his but he swore himself that he wouldn't look... there.

Definitely not.

With determination, he opened his eyes, turned on the shower, winced when the cold water hit his legs and looked down on instinct.

"Daaaaang." Mingyu couldn't help but whistle through his teeth before he hastily turned his eyes away, his flush returning with vengeance.

The word was an unfair place, he mused. A handsome face, money, a great body and ... that. Wasn't that a bit too much?

After he had taken a moment to calm down, he grabbed his washcloth in an attempt to avoid any possible skin contact. Because he would definitely faint if he touched Wonwoo's body by accident.

Freshly showered and dressed in his own, baggy clothes (walking through the messy dorm room butt naked without looking down had been a bit of a nightmare), Mingyu had taken a seat on his desk chair, determined to wait for Vernon.

But his roommate took his time. A lot of time. A very long time.

"What is he doing?!" Mingyu finally blurted after busying himself with his project for several hours. He had missed lunch as well dinner and his stomach was seemingly digesting itself right now since he hadn't had breakfast either. Unlike his roommate, he never kept snacks around - but he wasn't desperate enough to resort to stealing. Yet.

He eyed his bag. His student ID was in his wallet but, of course, it was the student ID of Kim Mingyu, not Jeon Wonwoo. He wouldn't get any food at the cafeteria with it. And he was too broke to eat out.

With a low sigh, he rested his chin on his arms. If he was really unlucky, his roommate wouldn't come home at all or only late at night and then freak out when he found a stranger in Mingyu's bed. That would be awkward.

He couldn't even write him a message since he had always been too timid around Vernon to even talk to him properly, much less ask for his number.

Maybe his best bet was to return to Wonwoo's flat for now. The maid had prepared food earlier, so at least he wouldn't starve to death on his first day in his new body - and nobody would scream at him for sleeping in Wonwoo's bed. Everything else could be solved tomorrow.

With newfound determination, Mingyu got up and made his way back to Wonwoo's apartment. This time, he brought his own public transport card.

Once again he had forgotten about the existence of doors. While the fancy glass door of the apartment building hadn't been a problem - the receptionist had opened it without question after taking a look at his face - the door to Wonwoo's apartment was a different matter. And unlike his dorm room door, this electric door fell shut even without anyone closing it.

Helplessly, Mingyu stared at the number pad below the sensor. He had no idea what kind of code it could be and even if he knew all the birthdays of Wonwoo's extended family, he still wouldn't dare to enter them in fear of alarming the security personnel by using the wrong one. He could only hope and pray that the maid hadn't left yet - although that seemed unlikely, given that it was already past eight pm.

Without any other choice, he pressed the doorbell anyway.

Nothing happened.

"Dang it!" He almost kicked the door in frustration but then remembered the CCTV down the hallway. Instead, he tiredly leaned against the wall next to the door, all of his strength depleted.

Today had been horrible but deep down, he still hoped that everything was just some sort of crazy dream. He didn't necessarily like his body but it was still better than getting stuck in the body of someone else.

His eyes began to burn.

His number one goal in life was to attract as little attention as possible - but how would he ever achieve that in Jeon Wonwoo's body?

He wiped at his tears while staring into the ceiling light, contemplating what to do next.

Suddenly, the door next to him unlocked with an audible _click_ before it swung open.

Startled, Mingyu turned and immediately paled at the sight in front of him: Through the opened door, his body was staring at him, his usually expressive eyes, half-hidden behind long bangs, bone-piercingly cold.

"You. Are you Mingyu?"

Mingyu's body was the first to break the stifling silence while Mingyu was still staring at himself, dumbfounded, wide-eyed, tears still glistening on his cheeks.

_Oh god._

That was definitely the most surreal and horrifying experience of his life. But at least his body wasn't dead or in a coma.

The other Mingyu's eyes narrowed in a way that sent a cold shiver down his spine. "Are you deaf or something?"

"N-no! I'm mean- yes! Yes, I'm Mingyu!" Mingyu sputtered, waving his hands. Tears were once again overflowing.

Mingyu number two frowned and crossed his arms in front of his chest. The way he was leaning against the door frame made him look completely unperturbed in a way that the real Mingyu would probably never be able to pull off.

Even a stranger in his body was more charismatic than he himself. What a depressing thought.

"So we switched."

"Huh?" Mingyu looked up from Mingyu 2's hands, startled out of his thoughts.

"I'm Jeon Wonwoo. The owner of your current body."

Oh god, he was talking to Wonwoo. The real deal. And his face was covered in snot. Wonderful.

For a few seconds, Mingyu was completely tongue-tied while he stared at his body, trying to wrap his head around the fact that this was Jeon Wonwoo, the mad dog.

Fortunately, he didn't seem mad right now. On the contrary; it was difficult to determine whether he was annoyed or bored with the situation since he still looked quite aloof.

Why wasn't he freaking out as well? Or maybe… maybe he had already found a way to turn everything back to normal?!

His tearstreaked face lit up like a Christmas tree, causing Wonwoo to raise a brow, but before Mingyu could ask, his empty stomach made itself known with a resounding _growl_. He immediately flushed deep red while Wonwoo's brow rose even higher.


	4. Wonwoo: Plans

Wonwoo examined the mess seated across from him at his kitchen table with a certain amount of disdain. This was definitely his body, no doubt. But he had never seen himself in such a terrible state before.

The man's face was swollen after crying and he was wolfing down the food Wonwoo's maid had cooked; sauce was smeared around his mouth, some splatters even reaching his cheeks. His body was dressed in the same worn-out, baggy clothes Wonwoo had woken up in while his curly hair was unstyled and hung in his face.

Wonwoo's gaze darkened the longer he looked. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried - and the person in front of him certainly served as a good reminder to not cry in the future either.

What an unsightly guy.

"Thish' sho good!" the man in his body, Mingyu, praised through a mouth full of food. The food Wonwoo's maid had prepared for him, Wonwoo. Not for Kim Mingyu.

He hated to share his stuff.

And the way Mingyu was eating made his fists tighten in his lap.

"Stop jabbering and eat," Wonwoo said coldly but what he really meant was: Stop slobbering all over my table, you imbecile.

The person in his body looked up from his meal and Wonwoo's eye twitched when the sauce on Mingyu's cheeks glistened in the kitchen lights. His mother would throw a fit if she could see the state of his body now.

The messy, swollen face in front of him reddened; apparently his tone hadn't been as neutral as he had intended.

"Never mind," he said before Mingyu could open his mouth and dirty his table even more. "I'll wait in the living room."

He wouldn't be able to stomach anything while looking at the guy in front of him anyway.

It only took about ten minutes until Mingyu followed him.

The fist thing Wonwoo noticed when he looked up from his phone was that Mingyu had washed his face. It wasn't smeared with sauce anymore and even the swelling had somewhat gone down. It also was less blotchy although the eyes were still a little red. All in all, he looked a lot more like a human being now.

The second thing Wonwoo noticed was Mingyu's overall impression. He had gotten caught off-guard by the unexpected appearance of his body earlier but now, when Mingyu walked into the living room, it became painfully obvious. Even in Wonwoo's body, the way Mingyu was slouching and pulling up his shoulders made him look timid and somewhat pitiful. Despite hiding behind Wonwoo's cold features and fit body, he still gave off the impression of a puppy that had been beaten.

Wonwoo stared him down from his seat on the couch, his face not betraying his thoughts: If his mother could see Mingyu right now, she would never stop lecturing him. Maybe she would even get someone to beat some sense into him.

But that wasn't any of his concern. He wasn't Jeon Wonwoo anymore; he had a new body now, a new identity. He could do whatever he wanted.

One corner of his lips lifted into a lopsided smirk and Mingyu fidgeted at the sight. He looked anxious, Wonwoo noted, more scared than confused. Unlike himself, he probably wasn't happy about switching bodies.

Well, it made sense. An ordinary person wouldn't be happy about having to give up their body, their life and their loved ones.

But then again, Wonwoo had never been ordinary.

Being the potential heir to one of the biggest companies in South Korea might sound like a dream come true to some, like a bright future filled with wealth and influence but he knew better than anyone of the dangers lurking below the glittering surface. The pressure from his parents. The schemes of his siblings. The threats from rivals and other opportunists. The greed of the people surrounding him.

Jeon Wonwoo trusted no one because he had learned early on that he would get backstabbed once he opened his heart.

But now a golden opportunity had arisen to escape the madness once and for all.

Wonwoo nodded towards the space next to him on the couch, his cold mask firmly in place. He wouldn't let this opportunity go to waste but he could at least give Mingyu some pointers so that he wouldn't blow his cover directly on the first day.

Visibly intimidated, Mingyu sat down next to him, his hands fiddling with the hem of his shirt. The unruly curls on his head did little to hide his bright red ears and his eyes were fixed on his knees.

Wonwoo once again took in the appearance of his body with interest. If he had lived a more normal life, maybe this kind of meek expression would also have graced his usually cold features before.

But his goal wasn't to scare Mingyu, therefore he cleared his throat and ignored the way the man jumped at the sound. Then he reached into his pocket and placed his wallet in Mingyu's lap. "Since you're me now, use my credit card. I'll write down the PIN. I don't care how much you spend."

He had long since taken out his personal credit card; the one left inside the wallet was the one, his parents had control over. For all he cared, Mingyu could buy the moon with it - the more of his parents' money he wasted, the happier Wonwoo would be.

But contrary to his expectations, Mingyu didn't seem pleased when he finally lifted his head. A frown was marring his features and surprisingly, he looked quite similar to the original Wonwoo at that moment.

Taking in his unusual reaction, Wonwoo was secretly puzzled. Wasn't an unlimited amount of money something regular people would be happy with?

For once, Mingyu's voice didn't waver. "I don't care about your money. I want my body back."

Wonwoo raised a brow at his sharp tone and the other male immediately shrank back as if he had just remembered who he was dealing with. "I- I mean… didn't you figure out a way to switch?" Mingyu stuttered, quite flustered.

How had he come to that conclusion? But even if Wonwoo really had a way to change back, he would not use it. This situation was too convenient. "I didn't."

"What?! But- but what do we do now?!"

"Accept it."

"You can't be serious!" Mingyu looked completely dumbfounded, his eyes glossy as if he was close to tears once again.

Wonwoo leaned against the armrest of the sofa, his whole demeanour calm and collected. "You have a better idea?"

That question seemed to catch Mingyu off-guard before his expression morphed into one of deep contemplation. "Has anything weird happened to you lately?" he finally asked after pondering for a while.

"Besides waking up in the body of a stranger?" Wonwoo retorted dryly, causing Mingyu's ears to redden. "No."

"I meant anything that could've led to this," the other male grumbled, gesturing wildly at their bodies, and a sliver of amusement rose in Wonwoo's chest. It was surprisingly fun to tease him.

"No."

Slumping against the headrest, Mingyu rubbed his temples before he muttered, "Yeah, nothing happened to me either... what now? We can't just sit around and do nothing."

Wonwoo remained silent while Mingyu kept brainstorming. His pensive face suddenly lit up with excitement and he suggested, "How about we go to a fortune-teller? Or a medium? Maybe they can help us since it's clearly something supernatural!" Sparkling eyes looked at Wonwoo.

"No."

The eyes dimmed. "Huh? But-"

"No."

"Why not?!"

"I don't want to."

Even if Wonwoo were keen on switching back - which he wasn't - his pride would never allow him to put his faith in charlatans. Furthermore, if these people really were able to help, his plan would be foiled.

Mingyu was staring at him with wide eyes, a flush slowly spreading down his neck. It was clear as day that the person stuck in his body was both exasperated as well as flustered.

Fun.

A grin threatened to stretch Wonwoo's lips but he suppressed the urge. Nothing changed in his expression while he stared his opponent down until Mingyu lowered his eyes and grumbled dejectedly, "You're holding my body hostage."

This time, Wonwoo was unable to suppress the twitch of his lips.

Although his unguarded expressions suggested otherwise, Mingyu was surprisingly quick-witted.

After another round of discussion - where Mingyu discussed and Wonwoo shook his head - they came to an agreement: They would return to their respective homes for now and live out the life of the other to the best of their abilities until they found a way to reverse whatever had happened to them (Wonwoo thought to himself that the effort he would take to find a solution would be minuscule). To be able to act their parts, they would write down some important pointers for each other and meet again the coming day.

Mingyu looked quite satisfied with this arrangement but when Wonwoo remembered the state of the dorm room he had left behind, his mood immediately took a nose-dive. There was no way he would be able to live there in peace. But he had his credit card now, so it was only a matter of time until he found a better place - not that he would tell Mingyu about it. He was sure that the male wouldn't be thrilled since it didn't exactly follow their stay-where-you-are-and-remain-inconspicuous plan but Wonwoo was also certain that he wouldn't survive more than three days of dirty laundry and roommate-mess.

Abruptly, he got up, startling Mingyu, and moved towards the door to the hallway.

"Are you going home?" The other male once again sounded quite timid.

"I'll take a shower first." The bathroom at the dorm was too filthy for him to feel comfortable.

"W-what?!"

Mingyu's loud exclamation surprised Wonwoo, and with a turn of his head, he shot the other a stare, noting the furious blush on his face. What was his problem now?

It took a few seconds until Mingyu stammered, "But- but then you see me- I mean, my body naked..." His already flushed face reddened even more and he pressed his hands against his cheeks as if he was attempting to hide behind them.

Wonwoo raised a brow at him, unperturbed but vaguely surprised by his odd reaction, before he decided to pay it no mind. His sanity was more important than Mingyu's modesty. Without a second look, he opened the door. "What's there to see? We're both guys."

~

"Oy, sleepyhead! It’s eight already! Don't you have classes?"

When Kim Mingyu woke up, he was greeted by the familiar sight of Hansol's bright grin and his heart immediately jumped. Then a strand of straight, dark brown hair poked him in the eye.


End file.
